About

I’ve been through the chronic pain journey and emerged the other side healthier, fitter and happier than I could have imagined possible.   What I’ve learnt along the way challenges many common preconceptions of healthcare, and this knowledge needs to be put to practical use to reduce the needless suffering of others.  Here’s my story, and why Root2Being was created.

By the age of 19, I was suffering severe chronic musculoskeletal pain that did not improve with activity or rest.

A Geology student at Cardiff University, I struggled daily just to survive.  Eventually persuaded by my house mate, I went to see a chiropractor.

I’d never been ill, and didn’t look ill, but inside my body and mind were constantly and increasingly exhausted.  I didn’t speak to anyone about it because I had no reason to suspect what I was experiencing was different to anyone  else.

With no obvious cause, I doubted myself that I even had a problem.  The pain had developed gradually, insidiously, over time, creating a mystery ‘illness’ that baffled me, and all those I sought out to try and help.

The chiropractic treatment at this time helped relieve the symptoms, but we still had no idea why I suffered as much pain as I did.

The wakeup call (2001-2002)

Having become reliant on symptomatic relief through chiropractic, this x-ray taken in November 2001 showed me for the first time my twisted spine and unlevel hips.  No cause was evident and I was told the only option was to live with the pain.

I had two choices:

1. accept that those I relied on knew best
2. resurrect my practically non-existent self-belief, and find out what the problem was myself

I chose the latter!  I gave up all forms of treatment, studied and listened to my body very closely, and researched intensely with the help of the internet.  A year later, I found the information I needed.

 A paper published a few months earlier by an American podiatrist described how differences in the alignment of certain bones in the feet, set at birth (congenital) can cause the whole foot to remain at an angle to the leg.

This inverted foot shape causes the foot to roll inward and downward (hyperpronation), which sets of a chain reaction throughout the whole body.

Hyperpronation draws the body forward. The body adapts. Slowly and progressively, strain and deformation patterns develop that lead the patient into chronic pain  (Rothbart, B.A., January 2002)

By summer 2002 I was at my lowest, and although never officially diagnosed because of my lack of trust in the medical profession, I had the classic symptoms of Myalgic Encephalopathy / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I was working but have no idea how I held down my job, I had no refreshing sleep, my diet was a mess (comfort eating rather than nutritional) and at times I simply did not have the energy to eat or walk up the stairs. 

At last I found the answer (2002)

Luck and fate brought me in contact with a chiropractor who understood these foot alignment problems, and the effect they have on the entire body.

The assessment confirmed that I had indeed been born with my feet inverted relative to my leg, clinically known as a rearfoot and forefoot varus. Although this is a very common problem (affecting about 70% of the population to some degree), my case was the most severe that chiropractor had seen.

The relief of this diagnosis, coupled with meeting someone who actually understood its impact not just on my physical health, but my emotional and spiritual health too was, quite simply, life changing.

It slowly began to dawn on me that from the day I had taken my first steps, the repeated rolling inward of each foot had caused the rest of my structure to adapt.

This constant adaptation had been forcing my musculoskeletal structure out of alignment. The mis-use of the soft tissues and joints in order to compensate was causing the pain.  The constant unrelenting pain had in turn unbalanced all my other natural systems.

This was the first healthcare practitioner I had visited who actually helped me heal myself. Alongside the prescription orthotics to stabilise how my feet worked, I was introduced to the Blood Type Diet by Dr. Peter D’Adamo, the importance of rebalancing energy via things like Acupuncture, massage and Tai Chi, and further chiropractic adjustments as my body adapted and healed.

This all made so much sense to me. What I had lacked until this point was an understanding and acceptance from others that I was indeed suffering. Once this was validated, and I understood the underlying cause, I was free to embark on the journey to heal myself on all fronts.

It is a lifelong transformational journey of discovery, where I am in charge of my own healing. The physical, mental, emotional and spiritual changes I have experienced since starting this journey have been profound. I am left in no doubt that working on the physical, nutritional, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of the body and aiming for balance and stability in each is key to living a happy healthy life.